The invention relates to nozzles used with beverage dispensing systems. In particular, the invention relates to nozzles for beverage dispensing systems where multiple beverage components are concurrently dispensed through the nozzle to a container. These nozzles are used to direct the fluid beverage components in an organized fashion into a container, often times by a consumer. The nozzles must be able to dispense the beverage components without a detrimental carbonation loss.
Beverage dispensing systems are commonly used in a wide variety of locales, including restaurants, snack bars, convenience stores, movie theaters, and any business where beverages are served. These beverage dispensing systems often dispense a variety of beverages of differing types and flavors, such as flavored carbonated sodas, iced tea, water, or even alcoholic beverages. Typically, such devices use a post mix dispenser and a nozzle that directs and partially mixes a beverage additive (e.g., a flavored syrup) with a base beverage fluid (e.g., water or soda) before discharging the beverage into a beverage container. Many such beverage dispensing systems, often referred to as a beverage tower, utilize a dedicated nozzle for each flavor, but other systems utilize a single nozzle for dispensing multiple different beverage flavors depending on the needs of the end user.
Regardless of whether a single nozzle is used for multiple beverage mixes or if a nozzle is used for each single beverage flavor, conventional beverage dispensing nozzles only partially mix the beverage base and beverage additive prior to dispensing the mixed beverage to a container. While mixing occurs in the beverage cup, the beverage mixture, as it exits the nozzle and flows to the cup, sometimes has a streaked appearance. This is particularly noticeable in beverages where a dark additive is mixed with a clear base such as when a cola beverage is mixed, where the additive is a dark brown, and the soda water base is clear. Because current nozzles, when dispensing the exemplary cola beverage, do not completely mix the beverage, brown and clear streaks will appear in the partially mixed beverage stream as it is dispensed into a container.
The nature of the above drawbacks can be understood more fully by referencing one type of conventional device, commonly used in standard beverage dispensing applications, shown in FIGS. 1-4. FIGS. 1-4 all depict a conventional nozzle 2. The convention nozzle 2 has an inlet 4 at an upstream side of the nozzle 2, which is connectable to a beverage dispensing system (not shown). The conventional nozzle 2 also has outlet 6 at the downstream end of the nozzle 2.
FIG. 3 shows a cross-section view of the conventional nozzle 2 where the internal walls of the nozzle can be seen. Near the inlet 4 of the nozzle, the internal walls are vertical. As a fluid moves through the nozzle in the downstream direction, internal nozzle wall 16 funnels the fluid stream into a narrower nozzle passage. This funneling causes a partial mixing of the beverage components at the outer edge of the beverage fluid stream. As the fluid stream proceeds in the downstream direction, internal nozzle wall 16 further funnels the fluid stream. The funnel shape of wall 16 is convex and causes some additional partial mixing of the beverage fluid, but again, only near the outer edges of the fluid stream. The funneling also functions to organize the multiple beverage components into a smaller controlled stream for dispensing. As the beverage fluid further proceeds in the downstream direction, it finally reaches the vertical internal wall 16 and is dispensed into a suitable beverage container (not shown).
The beverage-dispensing nozzle of the prior art, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, dispenses a laminar flowing partially mixed beverage. The dispensed beverage is laminar, i.e. not uniformly mixed across its flow path, and includes streaking which is the combined flow of the dark beverage component additive, such as a dark colored cola, with the light colored beverage base such as the carbonated water which is colorless. This laminar flow streaking is caused by separate dispensing points for each of the beverage base and the beverage additive at the discharge from the dispensing system to the nozzle and the inability of the conventional nozzle to sufficiently mix the beverage components.
Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a nozzle that overcomes the aforementioned deficiencies of conventional beverage dispensing nozzles.